Also just released is the second album by the Riverloam Trio – Mikolaj Trzaska, Mark Sanders and me. Our first album came out on No Business a couple of years ago as a double LP, this time we’ve gone for a CD, which has been released on FMR. You could get one from the usual places, or I’m bringing copies to gigs… Only one review so far for that, the Downtown Music Gallery had this to say:

“By now, you should recognize the name of Polish reedsman, Mikolaj Trzaska, since he can be found on more than thirty releases working with Joe McPhee, Johannes Bauer, Peter Brotzmann and Ken Vandermark’s Resonance Ensemble. Trzaska also has a dozen discs as a leader. British bassist Olie Brice I know from a few discs on the FMR label as well as a trio with Ingrid Laubrock. UK drum master Mark Sanders certainly needs no introduction here since he is the in-demand drummer for Paul Dunmall, Evan Parker and Jah Wobble. This is a strong, spirited free trio with all three members integral to the intense, creative sound. Mr. Trzaska lets out some extreme blasts at times, bending his notes in a Brotzmann-like way yet his sound is definitely his own. There are moments when the trio lays back, the bassist does some haunting bowing while Trzaska plays quietly ominous bass clarinet. This is a formidable, inventive and spirited date. Ommmm. – Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG”

One more to tell you about, an improvised trio session by Mike Fletcher, Tymek Jozwiak and me has been released on Slam Productions, called ‘Nick Of Time’. Don’t think it’s technically been released yet, but if you catch Mike on a gig physical copies do exist… Here’s what Slam have to say about it –

Nick, Mark Sanders and I did a really nice recording session last week, beautifully captured as always by Alex Bonney. Hopefully it’ll be an album at some point, details here as and when…

Nick and I also played Mopomoso at the weekend, John Russell’s monthly night at the Vortex. Mark wasn’t available, but we played with the great Roger Turner instead, something I’ve wanted to do for ages. here’s the evidence…

The Catatumbo album due out on Babel has been rescheduled, now due out next March. It’s quite a package, 180g gram vinyl, gatefold with gorgeous artwork by Jethro Brice, and a CD thrown in for good measure. I think there’ll be an option of buying just a CD as well.

Been having a lot of fun playing in a new trio, BABs, with Alex Bonney on laptop and James Allsopp on bass clarinet. We’ve just finished mixing and mastering our album, which will be released in January on mini-loop records, download only (initially at least). Album launch / debut gig at Cafe Oto on Jan 20th, on a bill with DJ Inchtime and the astonishing Icarus, who are also launching their new album. More information here…

And finally, looking forward to touring in the new year with another new trio, Birchall / Brice / Marks. Tour info on the Gigs page, we’ve also got a recording ready to go, will write something up here when we work out what we’re doing with it!

The first Catatumbo album should be on it’s way this October, coming out on Babel. Catatumbo is the trio of Ingrid Laubrock, Javier Carmona and me. Alex Bonney did a great job of recording us at the Vortex on our tour last November, and that some of that recording will be coming out on LP, CDR and digital download pretty soon. You can hear a bit of the concert (that won’t be on the album) on the ‘listen’ page of this website. We’re looking at touring April next year, details on here as they materialise…

The recording Mikolaj Trzaska, Mark Sanders and I did last May seems to have found a home as well – should be coming out on No Business sometime next year. Another live recording, this time recorded by Chris Trent, in Birmingham.

And finally, the Nick Malcolm Quartet (with Alexander Hawkins and Mark Whitlam) did a couple of days recording recently. We had a lot of fun, and again Alex Bonney got a great sound. Hopefully that’ll be mixed and on its way to labels pretty soon!

I’ve recently started playing again with Dave Birchall (guitar) and Phillip Marks (drums). I used to play a lot with both of them separately when I first started gigging, with Dave in a folk/post-rock/improv band called ‘Our Beautiful Ridiculous Plan’ and with Phil in various jazz and improv settings. The two musicians I played with most frequently when I lived in Manchester, but last week was the first time we’d done anything together. Anyway, its great to be working with them again, looking forward to developing the project.

I’ve posted a couple of tracks on the ‘listen’ page of this website from a recent gig by the new Olie Brice Quartet. They’re not very hi-fi, and Leon is on Rhodes in the absence of piano, but I think they capture some of what we’re trying to do all the same.

If your appetite is whetted and you want to hear the real thing, we’ll be at the Vortex on October 11th.